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Wednesday, June 22, 2016

The Flash #1 Review

Heavy Footed

Written by: Joshua WilliamsonArt by: Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ivan Plascencia and Steve WandsCover Price: $2.99Release Date: June 22, 2016While i was a little disappointed with the Flash: Rebirth #1, it was only because it seemed to more concerned with catch-up and recap than doing anything fresh or new. Since doing my review, I have come to grips that the Rebirth #1's may not have been for me and were more for people who skipped the New 52 and were jumping in the book and needed some recap. I have come to grips with it, but that doesn't mean that I like it. I am a selfish man and want new and fresh from my Rebirth books and like Veruca Salt, I want it now! Is Joshua Williamson listening? Let's find out...

The issue opens up with a little recap of the recap we got in the Rebirth issue. Oh no! We do start by seeing the accident that gave Barry his powers and while that is always cool to see, it is old news and when it's presented with the other stuff, I just had to shake my head. For a comic about the Fastest Man Alive, Williamson seems to be stuck in neutral.

After a really odd description of how the Speed Force was created and an equally odd scene of what happens after the Flash saves the day, we get...more jokes about Barry always being late. Okay, I hate to be the Negative Nancy of the review scene, but this isn't what I was hoping for from the rebirth issues of one of my favorite characters.We do get to meet August Heart, a detective who seems to have a big case of the fanboys for our man, Barry Allen and was there when Barry's accident happened. He also went to Barry to help solve the murder of his brother years ago and credits Barry for his faith in the system. If that didn't sound heavy handed, believe me, it was.Williamson continues by making Barry look like a dick and then when he meets Iris and Wally for lunch (or course he is late!), he makes him look like a self centered ass. Then Iris insults him and Barry thanks her and then it's time for Flash things. I don't know if you can tell, but I am really not enjoying how Williamson is writing the characters in this book.

It's no secret that what is going on here is a not so subtle setup that Barry Allen and the Flash need some help to get things done properly. I wouldn't mind the heavy handed nature of it all if I liked any of the characters so far. While Barry is saving everyone from a burning building (a scene that started to remind me of Jose Canseco doing the same), August is stepping up to stop some trouble at S.T.A.R. Labs and then it happens. "It" being the proper start of this story arc.

The issue ends with Barry being late for the hundredth time in this issue and it leading to a brand new Speedster. I love the idea behind how this issue ends, but the road to get there was pretty damn rocky.I'm sure it's no shock that I was not a fan of this issue. It started with a sputter, continued by trying to make me not like one of my favorite heroes, but at least it ends in a cool way. The biggest issue I had, however, was the heavy handed way that Williamson is starting his run. He doesn't present ideas, he pounds them over the reader's head until he is satisfied they have sunk in.I mentioned in my review for the Flash Rebirth #1 issue that I liked Carmine Di Giandomenico's art when Barry was in the Flash suit and that continues here. I love the frenetic feel he gives the Flash, but his regular people need a pick me up. Iris is the worst case of this here. Bits and Pieces:This may only be the second #1 issue for Flash, but I am not getting a fresh and new feeling from this book yet. This issue continues to deal with some recap and then we get some non-likeable versions of our favorite characters dealing with some heavy handed issues. It all leads to the birth of another Speedster and while my hopes for this series are taking a bit of a hit, I am still looking forward to next issue. It has to be better than this.

12 comments:

Hahaha, here we go disagreeing on the Flash again :) All though I will be honest and say that I didn't enjoy this one as much as the Rebirth Special. I would still have given it a 6.5 or 7 instead of a 5. The thing that kind of killed it for me was how obvious it was that they were going to turn his buddy into Godspeed. I think it would have worked better if we didn't know who it was for a little bit. Just my 2 pennies :)

It was so heavy handed. Again, if you are just jumping in, I can see liking it more, but we get more recap, the same "Barry's always late" jokes we always get and I really don't like the way Williamson is writing Barry...he is coming off as a bit of a dick to me. Now that we finally get August Heart up and running (get it???!!!), I'm hoping things pick up.

haha Yeah I got it. Maybe Barry just needs a wife beater and put Iris in check for getting him flannels for christmas too? :) I only read the first year and a half of the new 52 before i got disgusted and just stopped reading comics, but I always flipped through the trades and visited websites to keep up that way. The recap is pretty much for someone who NEVER read the Flash so i agree it does get a little old. I'm just riding high on Wally being back, plus I listened to you guys reviewing the last months of the new 52, and you all hated it with the riddler and things. This HAS to be better than that right?

Probably the book I was looking forward to the most when Rebirth was announced but after two books has probably been the most disappointing. Both issues felt like too much rehash and barely anything has happened. I really like the art though, which seems like a rare opinion. The mix of the sketch like art with the graphical look of the speedforce really works for me.

I need to go back and read this issue again... I remember Barry trying to split himself so that he could be at the two scenes at once but he obviously was not at both scenes at the same time. Did Barry possibly split himself with the other half eventually hitting August giving him Speed Force powers??

I didn't get that at all? It just seemed like he left saying he couldn't be in two places at once and he had to make a decision and decided to go to the fire first because it was on the way. Only it ended up taking longer than he thought it would.

Something I just remembered randomly: what happened to the Speedster that was at the end of Flash Rebirth 1? The one that seemed to be watching Barry at the end. There was no continuation or more clues? Did I just make that up?

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